Book Week | Heroes vs. Villains: A 7-Day Reading Revolution to Unlock Your Child’s Future Superpowers

When ChatGPT can write essays, and Sora can make movies, and AI is sweeping the world, how can our children stay ahead in the future?

Harrow Beijing’s answer is—Reading is the true superpower of the future!

In an era of intensifying global competition, Harrow Beijing students have demonstrated an impressive average IELTS score of 7.5 and exceptional critical thinking skills, proving that reading is not just a tool for language learning but a key to fostering independent thought, cross-cultural understanding, and innovative creativity.

This year, during our 2025 Reading Week, we will take children on an intellectual duel and a battle of ideas through the clash between “Heroes and Villains,” setting the stage for the evolution of the future!

2025 Book Week Special Mission:
Cultivating Critical Thinking Through the Clash of Good and Evil

From March 3rd to March 7th, Harrow Beijing’s annual Book Week will bring together students and teachers to celebrate the joy of words and the beauty of reading. This year’s theme is “Libraries Give Us Power – Heroes & Villains.”

Ms Karen Astill
Learning Resources Manager of Harrow Beijing

At Harrow Beijing, reading is not just a tool for language development—it is a gateway to broadening horizons, cultivating focus, and nurturing empathy. Our library offers a warm and inclusive environment where students explore diverse collections tailored to all ages and interests. Through curated reading lists, the Panda Book Award program, and our innovative Library Subway Map system, we guide students to build lifelong reading habits. The school also hosts engaging initiatives like the “Battle of Books” competition and the annual Book Week, featuring author talks, book fairs, and reading challenges that unite the community in celebrating the magic of stories. More than a space to borrow books, our library sparks intellectual curiosity and global exploration, empowering students to become lifelong learners and thinkers.

Authors Visit Our Campus
Unveiling How Reading Becomes the Superpower

During the 2025 Book Week, every Harrow Beijing student will embark on an immersive literary journey—face-to-face with authors.

Sophie Deen: The CEO of Bright Little Labs, supported by Warner Bros., has been named one of the “Most Influential Women” for four consecutive years. She is dedicated to inspiring children’s computational thinking and critical reasoning through storytelling.

Trevor Lai: An internationally renowned comic artist and children’s author, his works have captivated audiences worldwide, empowering children with boundless imagination and creativity.

Sophie Deen personally taught The 21st Century Survival Guide, equipping students with essential future-ready skills. She also delivered a special talk for parents on the “Must-Have Skills for Children in the AI Era.”

Trevor Lai, creator of global animated IPs, unlocked creativity through interactive storytelling sessions. Students dissect his “Fantasy World-Building Toolkit”, mastering visual narrative techniques to transform ideas into comics and novels. Under his mentorship, children don’t just read stories—they engineer multiverse scenarios, bridging literary analysis with computational logic to fuel self-driven learning.

Charity Lights Up the Future
Making Reading a Part of the Gift of Love

On March 7th, the special highlight of this Book Week—Villain Awakening Day—took place. On this day, children engaged in role-playing, transforming into either “heroes” or “villains” from the books. They immersed themselves in the thought patterns and values of these characters, using dramatic performances to stimulate empathy and critical thinking. Parents were also invited to the book market to witness their children’s growth and transformation, experiencing how reading shapes multifaceted personalities and enhances their reasoning abilities.

At the same time, the school launched a heartwarming reading initiative—The Power of a Book charity donation. All students were invited to donate a Chinese children’s book, spreading the warmth of reading to more children. Every student who participated in the donation received a limited edition “Superpower Badge” as a symbol of their love for reading and care for society. This is not only an honour but also a responsibility, encouraging children to use the power of knowledge to light up the world.

From “Reading” to “Wise Reading”:
Harrow Beijing’s Three-Dimensional Evolution of Reading

At Harrow Beijing, reading is not just a skill; it is a way of thinking, a superpower for the future. The school boasts three libraries covering kindergarten, primary, and secondary levels, with a collection of over 36,000 books. Through a precise reading development system, the school helps students evolve from “reading” to “wise reading,” truly making reading a powerful tool for their thinking.

A Precisely Targeted
Graded Reading System Ensuring Steady Improvement in Reading Skills

The growth of reading requires scientific guidance. Harrow Beijing has established a personalized graded reading system to ensure that every student can steadily progress along a reading path suited to them. The school creates personalized reading profiles for each student, dynamically adjusting reading lists based on their language development stage and interests, accurately matching their “zone of proximal development.” Additionally, the school has created an immersive reading environment, encouraging group reading, critical thinking challenges, and in-depth discussions, ensuring that students truly understand and absorb the knowledge from books, rather than just “comprehending” the words.

Olivia Y, a Year 5 student from Harrow Beijing, shared: “The school’s reading system is based on graded instruction. Teachers help us identify books of different levels, allowing us to continuously improve our reading skills and expand our English vocabulary, laying the foundation for future writing. Although teachers ask us to read at least one book a week, I read three thick English books each week.”

Making Reading the Future’s Competitive Advantage

Harrow Beijing not only provides abundant reading resources but also ensures that reading achievements are fully reflected in academic performance. The average number of books per student is as high as 28, twice the recommended standard set by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), creating a richer reading environment for students. At the same time, Harrow Beijing’s reading development outcomes are also reflected in academic achievements—an average IELTS score of 7.5+, and critical thinking skills ranked among the top in the country, laying a solid foundation for students to enter top-tier universities worldwide.

Reading is not only a passion for children but also their future competitive edge. Harrow Beijing, through a scientific reading system and innovative learning methods, ensures that every book becomes a stepping stone in the growth journey of children, with the power of thinking leading them toward a broader world!